How did collective security develop, in particular between WWI and WWII?

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Introduction

How did collective security develop, in particular between WWI and WWII? By Diederik ten Brink, IS11 The United Nations is a major organization build on the principle of collective security. In this essay it will be discussed how collective security developed, in particular between WWI and WWII. To understand collective security, one must first understand tradition alliances. Traditional alliances were alliances between nations with similar interests, mostly as protection against other nations. These alliances contained terms, terms about what nations needed to do and what their obligations to the other nations involved in the alliance were. Nations acted in their own national interest, meaning that they allied with nations to benefit themselves solely. Collective security is a system in which states try to prevent wars by collective decisions. ("collective security") Collective security is not based on national interest, it is based on the aim to try to prevent a conflict, and thus maintaining peace. The main principle of collective security is that nations in collective security system have to act in behalf of the system and peace instead of their national interest. ...read more.

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The USSR was also excluded from the League, because it was feared by the other European nations and America. Though not excluded from the League, the US didn't join the League of Nations. Though it was President Wilson's idea to setup the League, the US could not join because the senate rejected it. The absence of the US was catastrophic, as it was the most powerful and wealthy nation. As other major powers that in the League were severely weakened, it was hard for the League to enforce its decisions. A fundamental problem of the absence of three Great Powers (USSR, US, Germany) was that the League was based on collective action, however with many great powers not involved, it was hard to both put pressure on countries and enforce its decisions. For example, if economic sanctions were to be put on a country, the country could still trade with the other 3 major powers. The exclusion of Germany and the USSR became especially visible in 1922, when they signed their Treaty of Rapallo, in which they agreed to extend their diplomatic recognition, cooperate economically and militarily, and both denounced reparations. ...read more.

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